The Baker's Daughter
by dolfingrl5
Summary: AU: What if Anna wasn't Elsa's sister? What if Kristoff wasn't Anna's love? What happens when the baker's daughter Anna meets Prince Hans and the two fall in love? How will they stay together with Hans's arranged marriage to the new Queen of Arendelle and how will their love survive the winter set off by her? Some OOC-ness attributed to the different situations of characters.
1. Chapter 1

_AU: What if Anna wasn't Elsa's sister? What if Kristoff wasn't Anna's love? What happens when the baker's daughter Anna meets Prince Hans and the two fall in love? How will they stay together with Hans's arranged marriage to the new Queen of Arendelle and how will their love survive the winter set off by her?_

Anna waltzed through the village a basket of bread in her hand humming under her breath. It was Coronation Day and everyone was a flurry with news of the newly crowned queen opening the castle for the entire day. Looking up at the castle, Anna took in the turrets, the walls, and of course the opening gates. She sighed, if only she were a princess and had servants to wait on her hand and foot, she'd never burn her hands, or stay on her feet all the time, and maybe just maybe she'd get a new dress.

She closed her eyes and imagined a beautiful ball gown, maybe blue or green, and all the princes that would dance with her. Laughing at herself, she shook her head and continued on her way taking a shortcut by walking along the docks. Seeing all the arriving nobles made her giggle at her day dream again and she imagined dancing with her prince, picking up the hem of her dress and twirling around with her bread basket.

She was so enraptured that she didn't notice the man on the horse coming down the dock until the horse ran into her and pushed her back into a rowboat that slid to the edge. Fortunately, the rider had his horse quickly step on said boat to keep it from falling into the water.

"Hey!" Anna yelled, plucking seaweed from her hair.

"I'm so sorry are you alright?!" A handsome voice asked nervously.

Anna looked up into the face of the most handsome man she'd ever seen. He sat tall on his horse, with fancy clothes, adorable auburn hair and sideburns, and dreamy hazel eyes.

"Hey." She sat up and tried to look presentable as she looked up into the face of the handsome nobleman who'd rescued her. He gazed back at her a slight smile on his face until he realized he hadn't helped her up or introduced himself. He dismounted and after helping her stand, bowed slightly.

"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, at your service."

She was surprised at his kindness, no one had ever bowed to her before, let alone a prince. She curtsied quickly not wanting to offend him, "Anna of Arendelle.. Umm... I'm not a princess or anything, it's just me... Anna, Your Highness." She felt out of place and she couldn't meet his gaze.

The prince reached down and gently cupping his hand under her chin, he raised her head to meet his gaze. "Just you?"

Anna stood up trying to brush the flour off her apron and appear presentable before taking Hans' proffered hand and stepping off the rowboat and onto the solid dock. "Well I suppose I am more than "just" me. My father owns the village bakery and that's where I was taking the bread basket I had before-" She glanced around looking for it before seeing it crushed on the ground.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Prince Hans said. "Let me make it up to you somehow!"

She was about to reply when bells were heard and the prince seemed to jolt back to the reality he was born into. "Bells. The coronation! I-I have to go Anna!" Hans took her hand and looking deep into her eyes he said seriously, "Anna I will make it up to you I promise. I better go though." Anna nodded at him and smiled as he got back on his horse hoping she'd see him again.

As the prince disappeared from view Anna felt something, almost a twang in her heart as she remembered sadly, they could never see each other again. After all, he was a visiting prince and she was just a baker's daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Hey all! Thanks so much for reading my story, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do this! Anyways, I can't wait to write more of this story. I totally love all things Disney, but I've really been enjoying Frozen. I have a soft spot for Hans, no idea why. So I can tell you he won't be evil in this version. Anyways, enjoy the story! Please review, favorite, follow, etc. (Oh! Btw I based Anna's mother off Queen Miranda from Sofia the first)_

As Anna reached home, she heard a large crash coming from the shop. "Daddy?!" She raced to the door fearing the worst and opened it to find her father sittings in a pile of cooking implements looking sheepishly up at her from underneath a mixing bowl on his head.

She raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door crossing her arms. "Daddy what on Earth were you doing this time?" Her father was a bit of a klutz sometimes and had been since she was little. Completely different from her mother's graceful steps and smooth voice that always calmed her down. Her smiled dropped at the thought of her mother. She has passed away two years ago from consumption and it wasn't something Anna wished to remember.

"I was just trying to grab another round cake pan for the layered cake we must make for the queen's meeting with the court tomorrow. I thought I had enough but I didn't!"

Anna just shook her head and laughed at his explanation. Looking after her father though left her without much time for herself, not that she minded. Thinking always made her sad what with having to worry about the cost of goods, the rent, taxes, and most recently, the attentions of Kristoff the ice harvester. It wasn't that she had anything against Kristoff, he was a nice young man, strong, attractive, and hilarious at times. It was just that Anna wasn't prepared to leave her father's bakery yet. She didn't want to marry and begin raising children of her own.

Anna walked over to her father and helped him put away the bowls and pans. She wondered if she should tell him about Prince Hans, he'd probably be wondering what to do if the prince actually showed up, but she had her doubts that Hans would.

Instead, she asked about the cake's flavor, and what the queen had commissioned. Her father replied, "She said a three layer cake of simple vanilla with blueberries between each layer, so we'll have to make sure to cook the blueberries on top of each layer but the top so it will turn out like the filling of a crumble. Then, we'll frost it over with a simple white frosting and just for a bit of creativity, I'm going to ombré the sides with blue to make the shadows stick out!"

She could tell her father was excited, after all the queen did ask for cakes commissioned by him at many formal gatherings. Her father had never actually met with the new queen or the regent, but a royal messenger always arrived a few weeks before an event with specific flavors and a description of the event, and money to cover supplies and labor. The queen and the regent before her were very impressed with her father and said so in the letters, trusting his artistic sense to create a wonderful presentation of the desired cake.

"So, I met someone important today," Anna said as she cleaned the counter of the shop. "Who might that be?" Came the reply from a cabinet behind her."Well... he was a visitor from the Southern Isles... and he sort of hit me with his horse." She flinched as a thump from the cabinet told her that her father had hit his head. He came into view rubbing his head, "What do you mean ran into you? Who would do something like that?"

Turning to her father she explained calmly, "Daddy, I'm fine really. He apologized and we talked. His name is Hans." She bit her lip and mumbled, "Prince Hans o-of the Southern Isles actually."

Her father blinked in shock. "A prince!? Did you insult him? Was he angry with you?" Anna shook her head. "He was actually quite kind to me, he apologized and asked me if he could make it up to me."

Her father sighed with relief and shook his head before turning to go in to the kitchen. "Well, nice apologizing prince or no Anna, I have a cake to make. After that we can go and enjoy the celebration." The bell on the shop door rang and Anna turned to welcome their next customer.

"Good afternoon what can I do for-" Anna stopped mid-sentence shocked.

It was Hans, smiling at her kindly, she had to remind herself to breathe. He standing in front of her in far more regal clothes than he'd been wearing before. In the gold trimmed white suit with a crimson ribbon across his chest, he certainly looked like a prince.

"Your Highness!" she moved from behind the counter to curtsy. The smile on his face drooped and he took on the look of a little kicked puppy. "You can just call me Hans, Anna. I get tired of decorum and formal nonsense." She couldn't help but giggle at him from behind her hand. He looked up at her questioningly. "Did I say something amusing?"

"No, You- Hans... it was just that you looked positively adorable pouting like that." The prince smiled at this and Anna couldn't help but smile too.

"Anyways, Anna I came to apologize again for this morning and to make it up to you I was wondering if you would like to attend the coronation ball with me as my guest? I don't really know anyone in the kingdom and surely one night in the castle with me will make up for the trouble I caused you."

She blinked. A prince asking her, a _commoner_ to a _royal_ ball!? It was unheard of, and besides her flour covered, egg stained work dress surely wasn't appropriate.

"B-b-but I couldn't possibly... I-I have nothing to wear!"

His smile grew. "That's why I took the liberty of buying you a pre-made gown. "He handed her a large brown paper wrapped package. Clutching it to her chest, Anna carefully set it down on the counter and unwrapped it, gasping at the beautiful green gown below.

"Your Highness, this is too much! You really shouldn't have gone to all this trouble to-" Hans held up his hand to stop her. "I won't hear it. You deserve this gown, and I would be very pleased if you accompanied me... Please."

Anna sighed, seeing no way to say no, and secretly admitting to herself that she wouldn't refuse him anyways, she nodded her assent.


	3. Chapter 3

That evening, Anna clung desperately to the arm of Prince Hans. She had been astonished earlier that night when the prince had returned to her father's shop on his horse, dressed in all his royal finery, and had helped her onto his horse to escort her to the ball. She smiled at the memory of her father's reaction to the prince's shining white silk and velvet coat coming into his dusty flour filled shop.

The dances flew by as Hans led her through them, it was even possible for Anna to imagine that she was a noblewoman herself. She sighed as the music ended and pulled away from the prince. Anna knew she didn't truly belong here but something deep within her told her that wherever Hans was was where she belonged.

As the music ended, Anna sighed and pulled away from the handsome prince, who raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She shook her head and was about to speak when one of the queen's advisors announced the queen's arrival. Everyone bowed and Anna followed Hans' lead.

Coming up from her curtsy, Anna looked up at the ruler of her home, the queen was so young and regal yet, her eyes looked so sad, as if the young queen had had more sorrow in her short life than anyone should ever have over an entire lifetime.

Anna was surprised when the queen seemed to look straight at her and then began to walk over to her and Hans. Feeling shy all of a sudden, Anna edged closer to Hans, as if his 'royalness' would hide her completely. She nearly fainted when the queen smiled and spoke.

"Why Hans, you never told me you had a sister. Now with twelve brothers I suppose you all would want to keep her safe from the world but really, I'm your fiancée."

Anna's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and her jaw dropped. Fiancée?! Why hadn't he said anything?! She was astounded, if she'd known she would have turned him down right away even if he did happen to be a prince.

Clearing his throat in an attempt to respond, Hans said, "Urm.. No Elsa. This is not a sister I've been hiding from you. Actually this is Anna and I met her today, I accidentally hit her with my horse and I thought a night here would fix that." He nodded at Elsa with a look that was so innocent, Anna might have believed anything he said, even if he'd told her that the sky was green and bunny rabbits grew on trees .

"Ah, I see. One night among the nobility and then she'd have an experience to regal others with the rest of her life," Elsa said dramatically. "How she was once nearly trampled by the future king's horse and he apologized her by giving her a beautiful gown and dancing the night away together." The young queen laughed, her eyes rolling lazily over Anna's grip on the skirt of her ballgown. "Careful dear, you'll wrinkle the taffeta."

Hans frowned at Elsa. "Elsa, that's cruel. Why would you say something like that to one of the people you look out for? This girl's father makes all the cakes you use for galas, meetings, everything! I nearly killed her on Sitron today, and you laugh it off like it was nothing!"

Elsa brushed him off, turning towards the banquet table, "And the solicitors pay him very well for his service to the Crown."

Anna looked up at Hans's face. The young prince was fuming, he looked so different from the kind and gentle prince she'd seen that morning.

"Elsa I'm done with this. With you and your cynical views of people! I'm breaking off the arrangement! I love Anna!"

The queen whirled. Anna gaped at Hans as his hand covered the one of hers that was resting on his arm. He loved her? But they'd just met! This was ludicrous!

"Our families have planned this alliance since our birth Hans...and you really think that the feelings you have for t-this commoner are more important than our two countries!?"

Hans reached out to her, "No Elsa-"

The queen raised her hand to silence him and turned away. "No. I've heard enough, the party is over. Close the gates."

Anna grabbed the queen's hand, her glove slipping off as she tried to plead with her. "Please, Your Majesty, let me explain! Prince Hans didn't mean what he said!"

Queen Elsa's eyes widened and she tried to grab her glove back from Anna.

"I don't belong here-"

"Enough!" The queen waved her hand overwhelmed and ice shot across the floor, sharp icicles grew towards Anna. Hans grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back before she was impaled on the frozen spikes. Elsa pulled back, horrified at what she'd done, her thoughts screaming at her to run and hide before she hurt anyone else. She turned and darted from the room.

_**So sorry about the wait, it was awful actually having to decide how to cause the winter. Thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows I truly appreciate it. I have some Kristoff/Elsa planned, mainly because I wanna put my "peasant Anna" in the scene where Hans is all like, "Cloak? Anyone need a cloak?" You can guess what's gonna happen there ;) Anyways, thanks again I promise I will update more regularly... hopefully**_


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa raced out of the palace and away from Arendelle. She made her way to bank of the fjord, she gingerly stepped out and was surprised when it froze under her foot. It seemed fate was giving her people a chance, one that would protect them from her. Racing across the fjord, a tear fell from her eye quickly freezing against her skin and blowing away as a snowflake.

She reached the other side and collapsed, utterly exhausted. Where could a queen hide from her people? Looking up she knew the perfect spot, the North Mountain: with it's isolated valleys, and snow filled peaks, she could be herself and no one would get hurt.

Her thoughts drifted back to Hans and his declaration of his love for the peasant girl...Anna... It was a common name, but there was something uncommon about that girl. Despite hearing all those awful things about her, she still tried to set things right between Elsa and Hans. It was astounding how much someone like her could care,Elsa mused, and it only made her loath herself that much more.

Turning towards the mountain she began to travel towards it, with each step away from Arendelle, she felt more exhilarated by the chance of freedom awaiting her at the top, not even bothering to look back at her former home.

...

Anna looked at Hans, shocked by what had just occurred. Apparently he was too judging by the slack-jawed expression on his face.

Attempting to lighten the mood she nudged him and asked, "So, does this normally happen at balls?" Hans glanced down at her and a blush appeared across his freckled face. It seemed he'd started to realize what exactly he'd said in the last few minutes. Anna smirked up at him, prepared to tease the handsome prince about his confession when he began to speak.

"Anna, I-I know what you're thinking and I don't really know what to say umm.." Anna giggled and Hans trailed off. She looked up at him, "Thank you. I know what you were trying to say. Now my father is probably wondering where I am." The flustered prince nodded, "Oh, right! I'll escort you home then." He presented an arm for her to take and led her out of the castle.

The pair stepped into the castle yard chatting about the events that had occurred and what Anna would tell her father when Anna's dance slippers slipped on the icy stairs. She would have fallen if Hans hadn't been standing behind her and grabbed her waist to steady her.

"Glad I caught you," he chuckled. He smiled at her until he looked up at the rest of the yard, his face becoming the serious prince Anna had glimpsed earlier that evening. She shivered as a cold wind blew her skirts up. Hans removed his waistcoat and placed it on her shoulders, stepping around her to look at the ice and snow piled around the yard. Arendelle was covered in snow! Reaching out to Hans, Anna whispered, "Did Queen Elsa do all this?"

**Author's Note: Just a reminder that my story takes place in an alternate universe, dealing with what might have been. So even though we're all familiar with the movie, the way the characters act is how I make them act in order to further the plot. For example, without Anna, Elsa wouldn't have anything to 'protect' after her parents died so she became bitter and cold (no pun intended) so her actions are to protect herself from others by shutting herself away. Thank you for your continued support and I promise, all the character's actions will make sense soon.**


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